The True Tale of Brock Harrison
by Poliwhirl42
Summary: Brock's whole story before, during, and maybe after he met and traveled with Ash and co. From the time he was born, to being gym leader, meeting Ash, flirting with girls, the story behind Professor Ivy, it's all here! Maybe I'll make one about Misty, too!
1. From Humble Beginnings

**Hey everyone! I've got good news and bad news. The good news is that I'm writing a new story dedicated to my favorite character on Pokémon ever, Brock; it's basically Brock's story (from his POV) before, during, and maybe after he met Ash, starting from when he was born! Anyway, the bad news is that I kind of lost interest in writing the rest of my other story (the sandcastle one), and unfortunately, I don't think I'm gonna continue. I'm really sorry, but...I'm not sure. Anyway, just some things to clear up before you read:**

**1. I made up the the names for the doctor and nurse, so it's not Nurse Joy.**

**2. I know there's a confusion with them saying that Brock's mom died, but then in the Chronicles she's still there; I'm writing as if Brock's real mom died first and then Flint got married to Lola (his second mom) later on (by the way, I made up his first mom's name, which is Marie).**

**3. To make sure that the age difference between Brock and Forrest was correct, I had to make some of his siblings twins.**

**4. In "A Family That Battles Together Stays Together", Brock mentions the youngest sibling, Toko. That's her Japanese name; in "Grating Spaces", Brock calls her "Tilly", which is her English name. I liked Toko better for the story, so I put that in instead of "Tilly".**

**5. I do not own Pokémon and please read and review!**

**The True Tale of Brock Harrison  
**

It was 2:15 in the morning.

The cries of a newborn baby filled the quiet hospital room. The nurse picked up the infant and handed it to its mother.

"He looks very healthy," Nurse Jackie said to Marie, who was the new mother.

"He's beautiful," Marie said, as she took the baby in her arms. She looked into his almond-shaped brown eyes, which he had just opened. He had tanned skin, just like his father, and had a few wisps of brown hair on his delicate head.

Just then, a tall, rugged-looking man with spiky brown hair walked into the room. "Did you pick out a name yet?"

The young woman thought for a minute, then spoke. "Brock. It rhymes with rock, because I know that he's going to be strong, but sweet. What do you think, Flint?"

"Brock Harrison." The thirty-year-old man considered it for a moment. "Hmm…that goes well together. Okay then, his name is Brock."

"I'm so happy," Marie said. "I know in my heart that Brock is going to grow up healthy and strong."

And the small child, brown eyes shining brightly, smiled up at his new mother.

***

_Five Years Later_

Brock loved Pokémon, especially rock types. He loved everything about them; he was curious to find out everything he could about rock pokémon.

By this time, he was five years old. He had started growing, and his hair was dark and spiky, like his father's. His looks were one thing, but his personality was another. His personality was like his mother's, smart and strong-willed on the outside, but soft-hearted on the inside. Flint, determined to become the best rock pokémon trainer in all of Kanto and beyond, was a bit more stubborn.

The five-year-old was now sitting on the rug playing with his action figures, when suddenly, a delicious smell wafted toward him.

"Mmm…that smells yummy," he said, dropping his Geodude figurine to the floor. He headed to the kitchen, where his mother was cooking some soup.

"What are you cooking, Mommy?" the boy asked.

"I'm making soup for dinner," Marie answered sweetly.

"Oh. Can I help you?" Brock asked meekly.

"You want to help me cook?" Marie was a little puzzled. "Uh, sure you can."

After that, Marie taught Brock everything about cooking, which he soon found a pleasure for. By the time he was eight, he was helping his mom make dinner almost every night. She taught him recipes that have been passed down from her family for generations, including jelly-filled donuts, stews and soups, and her grandmother's famous rice balls.

One day, as he was preparing a salad for dinner, Brock said to his mom, "You know, mom, maybe I'll be a chef when I grow up. I really love cooking."

"You'd be a great chef, Brock. You're very talented. But there's lots of jobs to choose from in the world," Marie said, as she walked over to her son and kissed his forehead. She looked him straight in the eye. "You can be anyone you want to be."

He let those words soak in. He was only eight years old, but he was always wondering about what he was going to be when he grows up. He decided to wait and see to find out what he was truly good at before making any decisions.


	2. Another Brother and Birthday Wishes

A couple of months later, his brother Forrest was born. It felt a little strange having an addition to the family, as Brock had been an only child for almost nine years, but he got used to it quickly. He helped out with feeding and changing Forrest when his mother was busy, and rocked him to sleep every now and then.

Sometimes, he knew that he was just a kid, and he thought that maybe he should be out playing or having some fun like regular kids do, but it was part of Brock's personality that he cared enough to help his mom around the house and with Forrest. He liked having his room clean and the house neat. It gave him a sense of accomplishment.

Marie knew that Brock was a little mature for his years, at such a young age. She saw the love and care that he had for people and Pokémon, and she knew a job that would be perfect for him someday.

One night, Marie found Brock sitting on a rock ledge over a lake near their house. She went over and sat down next to him.

"So, are you okay?"

"Yeah," the spiky-haired boy said as he hugged his knees to his chest. "I was just thinking…about the future."

"The future?" The middle-aged woman asked quizzically.

"Yeah. Like, who I'm gonna be. What I'm gonna do."

Where had she heard this before? "Well, what do you enjoy and are good at?" she said.

Brock faced her. "Well, I love taking care of Dad's pokémon, and I can't wait to get my own one day. Maybe I could be the gym leader if Dad doesn't do it anymore. He's always saying that he wants to become a Pokémon master."

"Sure you could become a gym leader if you want," Marie said she put her arm around her oldest son. "But based on what you're saying about raising Pokémon, you could also become what's called a Pokémon breeder," she suggested.

"A Breeder? What's that?" Brock asked.

"It's someone who takes care of, raises, and breeds Pokémon. It's similar to a doctor, but it's a little different because breeders can compete in Pokémon breeding contests and pageants," Marie explained.

"Wow, that sounds interesting," Brock said, mesmerized. He loved seeing how Pokémon grow and change, evolving into different stages; it was a wonder to him.

"Just like I always say, Brock," Marie said softly, "You can become anyone you want to be. You just have to be yourself and follow your dreams."

"Thanks, Mom," he said, hugging her, and they looked out into the night sky together.

***

_Two Years Later_

Two almond-shaped eyes opened slowly one sunny morning. Brock groggily rolled over in bed, but was startled at the sight he saw by the window.

An Onix with a red bow around its neck peeked in the bedroom window. He couldn't believe it! An Onix was greeting him in the window! "W-where'd you come from?" he asked. Just then, there was a knock at the door.

"C-come in," the ten-year-old boy stuttered, a little shocked from the surprise in his window.

Flint walked in and put his shoulder on his son's. "Happy Birthday, son," he said facing the giant Onix.

"Wow, an Onix!" Brock exclaimed, jumping out of bed. "Is it really mine?"

"Yes, but you have to be responsible and take care of it well, understand? This is your first Pokémon."

"Okay," Brock said, still awed by the snake-like rock giant smiling down at him.

Flint got on Onix's back. "What're you waiting for, son? Climb on," he motioned. "Let's go for a ride."

"I'd love to," Brock replied, getting on Onix's rocky back. They rode to the lake and watched the sunrise. The ten-year-old smiled and faced his dad. "Thanks, Dad."

"You're welcome, son, and Happy Birthday," the rugged gym leader replied.

Brock felt that for the first time, he had earned some recognition from his dad. With their personalities and interests different, and with two twin babies (Salvador and Yolanda) and another brother named Tommy in the household now, heated arguments would sometimes spring.

Today, however, something was different about his father. He was acting a little bit more understanding and appreciative to him, more so than ever before. As he looked at the beautiful sunrise, Brock decided take in the moment and enjoy this day.


	3. More Siblings? & Flint Leaves the Family

One by one, more siblings kept coming. A year after Tommy was born, Cindy came; then another set of twins, Suzie and Timmy. And last, but not least, the last set of twins were born, whose names were Billy and Toko. By this time, Brock was just about turning fourteen.

He was now not only a Pokémon trainer, but was training to become a gym leader. Lately, his father kept saying how much he wanted to set off on a Pokémon journey, and battle the toughest trainers to become a Pokémon master. However, Marie didn't agree.

One night, Brock overheard his parents talking in their bedroom. He knew he shouldn't eavesdrop, but this sounded important. The door was opened just a small crack. He squinted and tried to see into the room.

"How am I supposed to take care of ten children by myself?" He could hear his mother say, frustrated.

"Marie," Flint said firmly, "It has always been my dream to become a Pokémon master, and I feel like now is the time to fulfill it. Besides, you have Brock to help you with the children."

"I think you're being selfish." Now his mother was close to tears. "I don't know what to say. This is all so sudden. And I know I can count on Brock to help me, but he's still young. I don't want him to spend all of his time taking care of his siblings; he has hopes and dreams of his own to carry out."

"I know that, but why can't you understand my hopes and dreams, too?" He hugged her. "I'll probably be back in a year or so. I'm leaving tonight," he said.

This was too much to know. Brock didn't know how to act. In one way, it was good because Brock could finally become the Pewter City gym leader. In another way, he was shocked that out of the blue, his father would choose to leave them like this, especially now that there were nine kids (besides him) to take care of, as well as taking care of the gym and the Pokémon.

Suddenly, footsteps approached the door. "I love you, Marie, and I'm sorry. I'll call you when I get to the Pokémon center in Cerulean City." Brock hid behind his door, waited for his dad to go out, and then opened the door to find his Flint look back at the house, startled.

"Brock? Is that you?" the trainer asked in the dark.

"Yes. Dad, why are you leaving?" He walked over to his father.

"I want to become a successful Pokémon master. It's always been the dream that I've never been able to fulfill. I feel that now is the time to set out on my journey."

Brock looked at the ground. "Don't forget about us. I guess this means goodbye."

Flint put his hand on his oldest son's shoulder. "I would never forget about any of you. I want you to take care of the gym for me now, Brock. You are officially the new gym leader. I know you can do it. Now get some sleep." And with that, he turned and walked toward the path to Cerulean.


	4. To the G to the E to the O to the Dude!

Brock adapted quickly to being the new gym leader. He had trained Onix well, and enjoyed learning more about battling when he fought eager trainers. Still, sometimes he remembered what his mom said about Breeders. Sometimes, he felt that he was more interested in raising Pokemon than training with them.

One day, Brock was out by some rocky cliffs, taking a brisk walk before heading back to the gym. He stood on a particularly high cliff and looked out into the blue sky.

He closed his eyes, breathed in the fresh Pewter air, and sighed.

It was much harder for everyone now that his father wasn't around to help around the house, but Marie worked hard at taking care of her ten children. Never would she give up; however, sometimes, it was a little hard. She was diagnosed with leukemia a couple of months ago, much to the family's dismay, especially Brock's. To add to it, she was overcome by depression by Flint's absence, but stayed strong; she wanted to provide a good example for her children.

Brock, eyes still closed, breathed in deep once more and tried to clear his mind, but little did he realize that he took a step forward without knowing it!

"Ahhhhhhh!" He fell of the cliff and was in midair, and just when he was just about to plunge into the fast rapids of the river below, Brock felt something swoop out, grab him, and land on the riverbed below.

"Ohhhhh…" Brock moaned, rubbing his head, which was beginning to hurt. The spiky-haired teen looked to his left to find a small, muscular, round-shaped Pokemon sitting next to him.

Brock gasped. "Cool, a Geodude! Did you grab me before when I was falling off that cliff?" he asked it.

"Duuuuude," it said.

"Thank you; you saved me," Brock said, gratefully. "Well I guess I'd better start climbing that hill if I'm gonna make it back to the gym in time. Bye," he said, getting up and dusting himself off.

"Geo-duuuuude," Geodude said, grabbing onto Brock's pants.

"Hey, what're you- hey, do you want to come with me?"

"Geodude!" The muscular creature nodded excitedly.

"Okay, then." He took out an empty pokeball. "Pokeball, go!" And Geodude was caught!

"All right! I got a Geodude!"


	5. The Time Has Come

Days passed, and even though it seemed like clear skies for Brock now that he was a full-fledged gym leader, the days became grayer for the family. His mother, sick and in pain from the cancer and the medicine, was now in the hospital.

Brock's personality had changed quite much; he was easily depressed at the thought of not having his mother- or his father- around. He couldn't bear to think of his mother suffering like this. On the other hand, he was angry with his father for not coming back to see how his mom was doing. They had only gotten in touch with him once, but at that time, Marie had not left to go to the hospital yet.

Forrest seemed a little gray, too- the others were too young really to realize what was happening, even though they knew that their mother was sick. They were sad, too, but didn't understand the whole concept as much as Brock did. His mother was the one who really inspired him; she wanted him to follow his dreams. But now, he felt too depressed to hope or dream. Not only was he unhappy, but he had double the work now of taking care of his brothers and sisters while being the gym leader of Pewter City.

On one particularly gray, rainy day, the babies were just finishing up their lunch when they noticed Brock putting on his sneakers and jacket.

"Where are you going, Brock?" asked Cindy, who was now three.

"I'm going to go visit Mom at the hospital. I've hired a babysitter to watch you guys while I'm gone. Stay out of trouble, everyone."

"Okay," his siblings chorused. But just as the teen was about to walk out the door, Forrest stopped him. "Brock," he started, "Is Mommy gonna be alright?" he asked, tears already forming in his eyes.

Now tears were forming in Brock's eyes. "I don't know; but we have to stay strong," he said to his younger brother.

***

It was a little hard running in the rain, but Brock ran as fast as he could to the hospital. When he got there, he checked in to the front desk and sat down.

"Brock Harrison?" A tall man wearing a white coat came into the room. "You may go see your mother now."

"Thanks," he mumbled, and followed the doctor to her private ward. When he opened the door, he found his mom on the hospital bed; some tubes were attached to her, and she had a knitted cap on (she had lost her hair from the medicine for the leukemia). She was asleep.

Brock sat down on one of the white plastic chairs and scooted it closer to his mother. He held her pale hand in his.

"Mom…" he started, his voice beginning to break. "I'm sorry that this had to happen to you. If only Dad hadn't gone off and-"

"Brock? Is that you?" Marie opened her eyes a little. Her voice was barely there, and she winced when she talked.

"Yeah," the brown-haired boy replied.

The poor woman sighed. "Honey, I may be in a lot of pain right now, but I could only imagine the pain and grief that you must be having. I'm so sorry."

"Don't be sorry!" Brock said. "You couldn't control getting sick."

"I know," she replied, "But I feel so bad knowing that you and the kids are alone. If only your father would have stayed to take care of you."

"We're fine, Mom, I'm just worried about you." His voice was cracking now and tears filled up in his eyes.

Just then, she moaned a little. "Oh, Brock," she groaned. Her eyes were beginning to close. "Get the doctor, quickly!"

He didn't have to, because as if right on cue, the door swung open and Dr. Jim came in anyway. "How's she doing?" But when he saw the sight of her, he went pale.

A few hours later, Brock was waiting in the waiting room. The doctors were all in his mom's room now, trying to rid her of some of the pain. Just then, Dr. Jim came out.

"Son…" he started.

"What? Please tell me that my mom's alright!"

"She's in a lot of pain right now. We're not sure if she's going to make it through all the way, but you may go in to see her now."

By this time, Brock was in tears. He ran quickly inside the small hospital ward; Marie was awake, but she looked awful. Brock kneeled beside her bed.

"Brock," Marie said, her voice crackly, "I don't think I could go on like this."

"Please, Mom," the fourteen-year-old cried.

"When the time has come, it's come. I'm sorry. I love you and your father and brothers and sisters so much. I'm sorry this had to happen to all of you. But God is calling me home." She held his hand tightly. Brock, shaking with grief, held her hand close to him.

"Just remember, son, I want you to follow your dreams. You can be anyone you want to be. You just have to believe in yourself. I love you so much!"

And with that, her eyes fluttered to a close and her hand was limp.

"Oh, Mom," Brock sobbed uncontrollably. This was all too much for him now. She meant everything to him, now she was gone, too.

"I love you, too." He picked up her limp hand again and held it to his heart as he wept by her bedside with grief.

Never again would things feel the same.


	6. Facing Grief and Recalling His Dreams

Marie's funeral was small; a few relatives plus Brock's family had come. Brock, however, didn't talk to anyone. He just wished that his mother would come back.

As the ceremony ended, he thought to himself, _Face it. She's gone. But she always told you to stay strong in rough times; that's what you need to do_.

His siblings cried when they found out, but they were still too young to understand anything yet, especially the two youngest. Forrest, like Brock, was filled with grief more so than any of his other siblings.

Brock had inherited the house and the gym, now that he was the only one left (both his mother and father, in their wills, said that they would pass down the inheritance to him; after all, he _is_ the oldest) dependable enough to take responsibility of everything. His relatives lived too far away, and they never really had any close friends nearby.

It was up to him now to care for and protect his brothers and sisters.

It wasn't a new task; when his mother was in the hospital, he took care of them alone (unless when a babysitter would come when he was battling trainers). He promised himself that his siblings could trust him to protect them and keep them safe and loved, just like his mother had.

It was a little hard, however, dealing with his grief. Sometimes, when he wasn't busy, he would sit in the Pewter Gym in the dark, depression overcoming him. He wanted to be alone to think during those times, and, thankfully, his siblings didn't bother him for that.

One day, he was sitting in the gym, when a voice popped into his head.

"_You have to follow your dreams."_ It was his mom's voice.

"_You could become a gym leader if you want; you could also become what's called a Pokémon breeder."_

His dreams. It all came back to him now. The "breeding" thing. He hadn't really gotten the chance to find out more about it. But now, he was determined to try.

***

That same night, after all the kids were put to sleep, Brock turned on the PC in his room and typed in "Pokémon breeder". When the results popped up, the first was a website all about Pokémon breeding.

"Hmmm…interesting," he muttered to himself, and clicked on it.

_Welcome to my website! I'm Suzie Vang, from Bonitaville. If you're looking about tips that range from breeding and raising Pokémon to food and health tips, this website is for you! I'm a Pokémon breeder, and one of my favorite pastimes is caring for them!_

The picture of Suzie looked about his age (he was now fifteen); maybe a little older. She had dark eyes, long sapphire-colored hair that reached her waist, and pale skin. She held a Vulpix in her arms.

Every night, Brock went on the website to check out updates on tips for breeding Pokémon. There were all sorts of advice and tips that Suzie gave each day, plus tons of Pokémon recipes. There was also a section where it listed all of the contests and pageants she had won.

He was starting to admire Suzie for the love and care that she had for Pokémon; he felt the same way about them. And, before you know it, with a little inspiration from Suzie, Brock knew what his official goal in life was:

To become the world's best Pokémon breeder.


	7. Old and New Friend

**(A/N- Hey, everyone! Sorry that it's been a while since I've updated; it's just so hard with writer's block and school and everything, that I haven't really had the time to continue writing this. But don't worry, I will. This next chapter is a little short, but the one after that will be longer. Okay, happy reading! –Poli42)**

It was now about two months since Brock went on Suzie's website for the first time. He went on other breeding sights, too, and was starting to like the idea of becoming the greatest Pokémon breeder. He wished he could travel more, like Suzie did, who now has her own shop on one of the streets in Celadon City **(A/N- As you already know)**, but it was impossible now that he was the gym leader and had to take care of his brothers and sisters 24/7.

One afternoon, the kids were napping while Brock was watching one of his favorite movies, _I Saw What you Ate Last Tuesday_ **(A/N- Lol- If you watched the "Light's, Camera, Quacktion!" episode of Pokémon, you'd know what I'm talking about!)**. He had just gotten to the part where the criminal was about to sneak up on innocent Mr. Wilson while eating his lunch, when suddenly, there was a knock on the front door.

_It's Sunday_, Brock wondered. _The gym's closed_.

"Sorry, the gym's closed today," he said exasperatedly as he opened the door. Didn't people read the sign? "You'll have to come back tom-"

He came face-to-face with a girl about his age who was holding a Tupperware. She had salmon-colored hair, which was long and framed her face. Her blue-green eyes sparkled as she smiled warmly at the boy.

Brock felt his cheeks go pink and his heart started beating faster.

"Uh, h-hi," the brown-haired teen said. "Are you here for a gym battle? I mean, the gym's closed today but I'm sure I could-"

"I'm not battling. I'm just stopping by for a quick visit," the girl said. "You must be Brock, the Pewter City Gym Leader, right?"

Brock stared at his feet and blushed again. "Yeah."

She held out her hand. "I'm Soledad."

He nervously shook her hand, blushing uncontrollably. "Likewise. Please, come in."

"Thanks. I actually came here to give this to you," Soledad said, giving him the Tupperware. "It's a casserole."

But before the spiky-haired boy could ask why she was giving him a casserole, the girl spoke again.

"Listen, Brock. I know it's a little confusing as to why I'm here, but I'll tell you. My mom sent me here; she was a little busy today. She was really good friends with your mom. I'm really sorry about what happened."

"That's okay," he said sadly.

Soledad continued. "I don't think you remember me, because we were really little when we met. But since my family has been traveling a lot since then, we haven't been able to visit. But when my mom found out about your mom, she decided to take a break from traveling and stay here for a couple of months. We'll be leaving soon to go to another region. She baked this casserole to give to you. Once again, I'm really sorry about your mom."

"Thanks so much," Brock said at last. "We all really appreciate it. And thanks for stopping by today."

"No problem," Soledad said, smiling. "And by the way, like I said before, my family and I are staying here in Kanto for a few months. If you ever need any help taking care of your brothers and sisters, let us know."

"Thanks again. I will."

Unexpectedly, Soledad pulled Brock into a warm hug, in which he happily responded (while blushing, of course).

"Bye, Brock!" Soledad said, waving as she walked out the door.

"Bye!" Brock replied. What were these sudden feelings he had for Soledad? He just met here, and it was strange about how he felt around her.

And then it came to him as he shut the door, smiling and blushing, thinking about Soledad:

She was his first crush.

**Lol, that last part was a little cheesy, but that was the best I could come up with. Hope you liked it! Stay tuned for the next part: Brock meets Ash, finally!**


	8. Pewter City Battle

**(A/N- Hi again. Just a warning- This chapter is extremely boring and repetitive if you've seen "Showdown in Pewter City"; it's basically the episode in Brock's POV, and without the parts with Flint/Ash and Team Rocket. I had to add this chapter in because it's important when Brock meets Ash, but it's a filler chapter, so if you'd like to skip this one, that's fine. Just remember that in the next chapter, he'll be traveling with Ash and Misty.)**

Brock, now determined to become the world's best breeder, sat in his usual place in the gym, alone in the dark. The babysitter had come over to watch his siblings.

He knew he needed to stay strong, but it was hard not thinking about his mother from time to time.

_Flashback:_

"_A Breeder? What's that?"_

"_It's someone who takes care of, raises, and breeds Pokémon. It's similar to a doctor, but it's a little different because breeders can compete in Pokémon breeding contests and pageants."_

"_Just like I always say, Brock, you can become anyone you want to be. You just have to be yourself and follow your dreams."_

Brock snapped out of the flashback when he heard the gym door open. He didn't move.

He heard voices in the dark; they seemed to be coming closer.

"Hello!" someone shouted. It was probably another trainer wanting to battle.

Brock turned the light on but didn't get up from where he was sitting. "Who goes there?" he asked, but what he saw was a boy around ten or eleven years old, with messy dark hair, gloves, and a Pokémon League hat. A Pikachu was walking right next to him.

"Oh, you must be Brock," the boy said. "I am Ash, from Pallet Town, and I challenge you!"

"Is this you're first gym match?" Brock said sourly. "A gym match is different from other battles. This match is for Pokémon League Authorization. There are special rules." He was a little aggravated and wished that he was alone again; he didn't feel very much like battling at the moment.

"Um," the young trainer started, "What do you mean by special rules?"

Now Brock was frustrated, but kept his cool. "You will use two Pokemon each, understood?" he said briskly.

"Oh."

"How long have you been with that Pokémon?" Ash's Pikachu looked very young, and not very experienced.

"Uh, about two weeks, I guess."

"Yes, your Pikachu is in its cutest stage. It can't win." Now Brock felt a little bad about saying this, but he was in a bad mood and couldn't help having a little pride.

Now Ash was getting a little angry himself. "I'll worry about my Pokémon and you worry about yours, alright?" he said, looking the gym leader straight in the eye.

"Suit yourself," Brock replied. "As gym leader, I have to accept every challenge, so let's just get this over with," he said exasperatedly, snapping his fingers.

And the battle begun.

Brock started out with Onix, who was his strongest Pokémon. As he looked to see who Ash would choose, it looked obvious that he was about to choose the Pikachu, although the electric rodent didn't look very happy about battling the giant rock Pokémon; it tried to hide behind Ash's legs.

Finally, Pikachu gave in and stepped reluctantly onto the rocky platform. Brock had Onix use Tackle Attack and then a Bind, which kept Pikachu tightly locked in; there was no way that it could use a Thunderbolt now even after Ash ordered it to. The Bind was just too strong.

Finally, Ash surrendered and left the gym in defeat. However, the next day, the heavy Pewter doors swooshed open, and in walked the amateur trainer, again, ready for another battle.

Brock stepped up to him. "Haven't you learned your lesson yet?" he said snidely.

"Eh, we're ready for you this time, Brock!" Ash yelled.

"Heh," he smirked. "We'll see."

This time, he chose Geodude first, and saved Onix for last, because he was the most powerful. Ash chose Pidgeotto, but didn't realize that flying types were weak against rock types. However, Pidgeotto returned and Ash called in the Pikachu again.

"This time we'll show him how 'weak' we are!" Ash said determinedly.

Pikachu's thunderbolt, surprisingly, succeeded Geodude, who fell to the ground, burnt to a crisp, after being zapped. Next, Brock brought out Onix, who locked Pikachu in a Bind just like the first time. But when it seemed like the end was drawing near, something unexpected occurred.

Flames from Pikachu's thunderbolt set off the sprinklers, and water trickled down on everything in the gym. Being obviously weak against water, Onix fell to the ground and struggled to get up.

Ash, however, wasn't stopping either. "Pikachu, finish it off!" Just as Pikachu was ready for another electric zap, Brock's siblings latched onto Ash and prevented the boy from getting anywhere near Brock's precious Onix.

"Ash, I think you better open your eyes!" cried someone. When Brock glanced at the upstairs balcony, he saw a red-haired girl that looked a little bit older than Ash. Why was she here? She must've been a friend of Ashs's. She looked a little familiar, though; he didn't know why. He turned back to the battle, where his siblings were still latched on to Ash begging for him not to hurt Onix.

Brock was aggravated enough. "Stop it, get off, all of you. This is an official match, and we're going to finish it no matter what."

Eventually, Forrest and the others released their grip from Ash's arm and didn't continue any longer.

"Pikachu, return!" Ash said as he called back the furry yellow mouse.

"What do you think you're doing?" Brock questioned, confused and perhaps a little angry. "This match isn't over yet, Ash."

Ash gathered his stuff and opened the gym door. "Those sprinklers going off was just an accident. Winning the match because of that wouldn't have proved anything." As he and Pikachu began to walk out the door, he turned around once more and said, "Next time we meet, I'll beat you my way- fair and square." Then they left.

Brock, shocked from Ash's mature outlook on the outcome of the battle, just stood there.

"Maybe…"

The spiky-haired gym leader knew what he had to do. After thinking for about five minutes, he jogged to the gym office, took a Boulder Badge from the drawer, and ran to catch up with Ash, hoping that they weren't too far on the trail to Cerulean City.

Finally, he saw the raven-haired boy and his Pikachu about a half a mile in front of him.

"Hey, hey, wait up! Ash!" Brock huffed and puffed when he reached them.

"Ash, you forgot this." He held out the silvery, octagon-shaped badge in his palm.

But Ash just looked up at Brock, puzzled. "I can't accept this," he said, disappointment in his voice. "I didn't beat you, I gave up."

"Nah. I lost to you; you beat me in battle, _and_ in being kind to all Pokémon," Brock admitted. Although they both knew that Ash didn't win the match fairly, Brock decided that the trainer deserved the badge for showing good sportsmanship and in caring for his Pokémon.

"To tell you the truth," Brock continued, looking out into the sunset, "I get more pleasure from raising Pokémon than by making them battle." Brock definitely knew by now that he wanted to be a breeder. He just didn't have the time to carry out his dream now that he was alone with his brothers and sisters. "I don't care about being a great Pokémon trainer, I want to become the world's best breeder. But I can't leave here," he told Ash, "Because I have to look after my brothers and sisters." He looked down in despair.

"Ash, I want you to take this and fulfill my dream," Brock said at last, holding out the gym badge. "Will you do that for me?"

"I will, and I'll do my best to deserve this, too," Ash promised as he took the badge.

Suddenly, a strange-looking man appeared out of the corner of their eyes. "Brock," he started, "You go follow your own dreams."

Brock recognized that voice all too well. A sick feeling spread inside of him.

"Flint!" Ash said.

As the scruffy middle-age man took off a fake beard and hat, Brock came face-to-face with…

"My father."

"That's right. I couldn't become the great Pokémon trainer I wanted to, and, because I was such a failure, I was too embarrassed and ashamed to go back to my family," Flint admitted to Brock and Ash.

He turned to his oldest son. "It's time I started taking care of my family. You go fulfill your dreams and mine."

Brock, his eyes serious and cold, look his father in the eye. "First, there are some things I have to tell you."

"After all these years," Flint said, "I understand how you must feel about me so I want you to get everything off your chest-" He was interrupted when Brock surprisingly took out a needle and thread from his green vest.

"Here," Brock said, giving him the sewing supplies. Flint sweat-dropped. "Uh…"

After that, Brock went into full detail of his siblings' wants, needs, etc., while Flint yelled at him to slow down. Ash smiled both at the humor of the situation between Brock and Flint, but also glad that they resolved their differences.

***

"Hey Ash, are you sure it's okay if I go with you on your Pokémon journey?" Brock asked. With his sky blue backpack slung on his shoulder, he, Ash, and Pikachu were heading to Mt. Moon and Cerulean City, where Ash would battle for the Cascade Badge.

"Sure I'm sure!" the raven-haired trainer said enthusiastically. "The more the merrier. And, it's good to have somebody to talk with."

"But what about that girl that keeps following you?" He gestured to the feisty red-haired girl that was making her way to where Brock, Ash, and Pikachu were walking.

As she rambled on about "Ash-paying-her-back-for-her-destroyed-bike" or something like that, Brock smiled humorously as he caught up with his newest friends.

_To be continued…_

**(A/N- Hopefully, that wasn't too repetitive of the original episode. By the way, I DON'T OWN ANYTHING. The next chapter might take a little while to write up, but not too long.)**


	9. On the Road Again

Along the way to Mt. Moon and Cerulean City, Brock was eager to find out more about Ash and the Misty (he learned her name after listening to the kids bicker over her "burnt-to-a-crisp" bike that Pikachu ruined). But for some reason, he couldn't remember why the girl seemed so familiar.

From what he found out, Misty was currently eleven years old going on twelve. She seemed to have a feisty, fiery personality, and a short temper. But when she wasn't in a heated argument with Ash, she was a kind and mature person.

Ash, on the other hand, wasn't as mature. He is the type who doesn't tend to think before he acts, and sometimes procrastinated on things that he should be doing. Like now, for instance; he was grumbling on about one of his rivals and how he's going to make sure he beats him next time they meet.

"Boy, when Gary sees how great I've been training Pikachu…" he trailed off, a look of satisfaction as he dreamt of Gary's face, stricken with defeat.

_Gary_, _Gary_, Brock thought to himself. Would the Gary that Ash was talking about be the same Gary that he battled before Ash came to the gym?

"Hey, Ash," Brock said. "Does Gary have spiky brown hair and a purple shirt?"

"Yeah, why?" Ash replied, puzzled. "Do you know him? He's my rival. We grew up together, but he's always saying how he's gonna be a better pokemon master than me and that I'm a loser. Boy, I'll get that Gary someday," the raven-haired boy added, a look of determination on his face.

Brock just shook his head and smiled at Ash's immaturity. "Yeah, he came to the Pewter Gym a couple of days before you did."

"Really? That means I gotta catch up with him if I wanna get all of the badges before he does!" Ash exclaimed, taking off, Pikachu on his heels. Simultaneously, Misty and Brock yelled for Ash to slow down and get his mind straight, but they ran out of breath quickly.

Misty and Brock walked alongside each other, huffing and puffing. Clearly, Ash didn't care that his friends were yards behind him, but they still wanted to catch up with him.

"Brock?" Misty asked, a little out of breath.

"Huh?"

"So, what type of Pokémon do you like?"

Brock shifted his light blue bag on his shoulder and faced Misty. "I pretty much like every type, but my favorites are rock-types," he said.

She sweat-dropped a little and "face-palmed". "Oh, right. You used Onix and Geodude in your gym battle with Ash."

He nodded absentmindedly, concentrating on the road in front of them that stretched out to Mt. Moon. "Uh-huh. So, what types do you like?"

"I just LOVE water-type pokémon," she said dreamily. "Ash may think that he's going to become the world's greatest pokemon master, but I'M gonna be the one that will a water pokemon master. I live in Cerulean City and I'm the gy-"

She was cut off by an impatient Ash, who was calling out to the duo. "You guys are a bunch of Slowpokes! C'mon, I'm never gonna get my second gym badge at this rate!" he yelled while jumping with his hands flailing in the air (anime-style).

"Well," Misty said facing her brown-haired companion, "We better catch up to him if we know what's good for us."

Brock chuckled. "You got that right."

Traveling with Ash and Misty gave Brock a feeling that he'd never had before. Since most of his childhood was spent either at home, taking care of his siblings, or in extensive training for gym battles, he never really had the time to spend time with friends. He had his siblings, but since there was nine of them, he always had to take care of them, plus, they were too young to understand his true thoughts and feelings.

He guessed this new feeling of having two companions by his side and a sense of comfort knowing they were there (even though he was the oldest out of the three of them) was just pure friendship.

But little did he know that the one person that he yearned to meet for the past year would become one of his best friends in the future…

The trio had just come from walking along the dusty trail from Mt. Moon after encountering an eccentric professor, a bunch of melodic Clefairy, and three thieves that were from the malicious Team Rocket (which included a talking Meowth, much to Brock's surprise; not only was this his first time encountering Jessie, James, and Meowth, but it was his first time encountering Team Rocket, even though he'd heard of the evil organization before).

Now, Ash, Brock, and Pikachu were heading to Cerulean City for Ash's second gym battle (Misty unexpectedly decided to stay behind/go somewhere else because she surprisingly didn't want to travel to Cerulean with the others).

Walking for a couple of more miles along the path, they finally reached a fork in the road in Cerulean.

"Well," Brock broke the silence, "I have some stuff I have to check out." He shifted his pack on his shoulder.

This question left a confused and suspicious Ash looking at him. "Like what?"

"Just…stuff," the teen said, exasperatedly.

And with that, he headed straight to the Pokemon Center in Cerulean City while Ash and Pikachu looked for the gym.

At the center, he came up to the front desk.

"Nurse Joy," he said. "My name's Brock Harrison, former leader of the Pewter City gym," he stated, flashing his Boulder Badge. "By chance, I was wondering if you were free for, uh, maybe, dinner tonight?"

_What was he saying? Was he really flirting with a Nurse Joy?_

Just half an hour ago, he had asked just about the same thing to Officer Jenny, but she shot him down, saying she didn't get off work "'til past his bedtime".

But why, _why_ did he have this sudden urge to find love? He was only fifteen years old. He couldn't understand what brought him here other than to heal his pokemon.

"Well, uh…" Joy trailed off, looking a little embarrassed and unsure of what to say next. "That's really nice of you, Brock, but I'm awfully busy today and I'm afraid I have no time to go out tonight." She wiped her forehead for good measure.

_Just as I thought_, the former gym leader thought to himself. _Shot down again._

Brock had Nurse Joy restore Onix, Geodude, and his newly caught Zubat to full health. He signed in to the PC at the desk and typed in _'_.

As he waited for Suzie's famous website to load, he absentmindedly thought of how Ash's gym battle was going so far, and if Misty would meet up with them despite her supposed "dislike" of Cerulean City.

Brock, now browsing through the website, assumed that Ash would be traveling to Celadon City, so they would just have to stop by Suzie's store. He couldn't wait to meet her…and ask her to teach him anything and everything there was about pokemon breeding.

As he closed the PC (and waved goodbye to Nurse Joy), Brock smiled with satisfaction and met up once again with his new friend, Ash.

"_You're_ the Cerulean City gym leader, Misty? I _knew _you looked familiar!" Brock exclaimed, incredulous.

"Yeah, I think I was going to tell you that before, when _Ash_ interrupted!" Misty cast a playful glare in Ash's direction.

"Uh, heh, heh," Ash squeaked, nervously putting his arm behind his head.

As the group went off again, this time leaving Cerulean City, Brock's sights were set on Celadon, pokemon, breeding…

And, most of all, Suzie.

**A/N: *Hope you liked that chapter! Sorry I haven't posted in awhile; I'm on break from school now so I should be writing more chapters. By the way, right now, the fic seems a little slow (and probably boring), but I promise you there will be more romance (including Breedershipping, AAML, etc.). But for now, I have to put everything in order, so it might seem a little boring until I get to the good stuff! By the way, feel free to comment and leave your opinion; I take constructive criticism, but please, no harsh stuff, cursing, or flames. Please also give me any ideas you have or tell me anything that you'd like to see in the story!***


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